


An Early Morning Surprise: An Earth 723 Fic

by RowenaZahnrei



Category: Excalibur (Comic), X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men Evolution
Genre: Bad Cooking, Breakfast in Bed, Brothers and Sisters - Freeform, Excalibur, Father's Day, Gen, Presents, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-16 00:47:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7245490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowenaZahnrei/pseuds/RowenaZahnrei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Wagner kids from "April Fools," "An Unsung Hero," "Sinister Motives," and "The Day the Earth Stood Back" conspire to surprise Nightcrawler on Father's Day! </p><p>Earth 723 is my version of what the Evoverse might be like some 30 years in the future. It's something of a blend of "X-Men Evolution" and the comic book series "Excalibur," which featured Nightcrawler as the leader of an international superhero team based in Britain.</p><p>COMPLETE STORY!  Reviews welcome! :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. Please don't sue me or steal my Happy Father's Day story! Thanks!
> 
> NOTE: This story takes place on Earth 723, as seen in my previous stories "April Fools," "True Love Ways," "Sinister Motives," "The Day the Earth Stood Back" and "An Unsung Hero." Alice, Marta, Suzie, and Edmund are all my original characters and do not exist in any official Marvel universe.

An Early Morning Surprise  
By Rowena Zahnrei

PART ONE

"Suzie!"

Ingrid Susan Wagner let out a grumpy, sleepy groan and pulled the sheet up over her head.

"Suzie!"

This time, the insistent whisper came with a sharp poke. Suzie groaned louder and rolled over, aiming a golden-eyed glare at her older sister from under the blanket.

"What'dyou want, Marti?" the twelve year old mumbled.

"Wake up, will you?" Marta whispered, grabbing Suzie's sheet and yanking it down to the bottom of the bed. "Have you forgotten our plans entirely?"

Suzie pulled herself up into a sleepy hunch, yawning hugely as she rubbed her eyes. 

"No, of course I haven't," she grumbled. "Just remind me - what were they again?"

Marta sighed deeply and rolled her glowing, green eyes. 

"Not funny, Suzie," she whispered. "Hurry up and get your tail down to the kitchen. I've still got to wake up Edmund."

"But, I don't have a tail," Suzie muttered, slumping back down and curling up in a warm, sleepy ball. "Does that mean I don't have to go?"

Marta jabbed her sister in the ribs with her own spaded tail. 

"You should be ashamed of yourself," she snapped.

"What for?" Suzie snapped back.

"For being a lazy lout, that's what for. Now get yourself out of bed and down to the kitchen before we run out of time and everything is ruined!"

Suzie yawned again and scratched her fingers through her long, azure hair.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Nearly five," Marta told her curtly. "Can I trust you to get out of bed if I leave now to wake Edmund?"

"Yes..." Suzie sighed, finally resigned to wakefulness as she sluggishly rose to her feet, padded over to her closet, and started tossing various articles of clothing in the general direction of her bed. 

Marta nodded approvingly, then vanished in a bright BAMF of sulfurous smoke.

*******

Edmund was already awake and dressed when Marta appeared in his room. The eight year old jumped off his bed the moment he heard the familiar BAMF of teleportation, his big white grin gleaming in the yellowish glow of his nightlight. Unlike the two girls, Edmund Wagner had not inherited their father's night vision.

"Marti!" he whispered excitedly, his smooth, powder-blue tail lashing behind him. "Is it time to get started yet?"

"You bet!" Marti grinned back, pleased that at least one of her siblings was showing the proper enthusiasm for the task ahead. "Shall I teleport you down, or would you rather take the stairs?"

"Teleport me!" the boy cheered. "I want to get down there fast!"

Marta's grin broadened, displaying her sharp fangs. Edmund ran to her, and the fuzzy, blue fourteen year old pulled her little brother close, wrapping him in a secure embrace.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Let's go!" he said, his hazel eyes shining.

BAMF!

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

PART TWO

Braddock Manor's big kitchen was down on the ground floor, so the three kids didn't have to worry about waking anyone up. They were free to talk normally, and even to clatter the pots and pans. But, the clandestine nature of their activities motivated them to keep their voices low...just in case.

"Suzie, do you have that menu we wrote out last night with Mum?" Marta asked as her sister shuffled into the large room and plunked herself down in the first chair she came across.

"Menu?" she repeated blearily, and dug into her pocket. "Ah, yes. I brought it."

"Great! Thanks," Marta said and smiled, taking the wrinkled paper and handing it to Edmund.

"Here, Eddie," she said. "You start taking out the ingredients, OK? I'll get out the pans and things. Suzie?"

"Huh?" Suzie grunted crankily. 

Marta shook her head, and shot her a good-natured smirk.

"Never will it be said that you are a morning person," she said. "Why don't you go splash some cold water on your face or something? Then you can make your famous sticky buns."

Suzie rolled her golden eyes as she pried herself up from the chair. 

"They're not _my_ sticky buns," she grumbled. "The recipe's on the back of the box."

"Yeah, but they always seem to come out best when you make them," Marta said. "So, you're making them."

Suzie tried to sigh, but it turned into a deep yawn. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she managed to nod through the yawn. "OK, no problem."

"Fabulous," Marta said. Leaving Suzie to shuffle over to the sink, she turned to Edmund, who was struggling to pull the full milk jug from the refrigerator.

"Marti," he grunted, "can you help with this? It's really heavy!"

"I've got it," Marti assured him, rushing over to grab its handle before it toppled onto the floor. "You get the eggs, all right? Just be really careful with them."

"OK," Edmund said. "Will I get to do the mixing?"

Marta shrugged. 

"Sure," she said. "I'll find you a spoon. Just put everything on the center island, OK? Do you need a stool?"

Edmund nodded, concentrating too hard on the egg carton he was clutching in his hands to reply. 

Marta watched his progress warily while she hunted out the long-handled wooden spoon and placed it on the island. Satisfied he'd make it, she BAMFed away to find the little wooden stool their Uncle Logan had made for them during one of his visits to the manor.

She'd just dug it out of the hall closet when her pointed ears caught the muffled sound of arguing. She grabbed up the stool and BAMFed back to the kitchen.

"Unbelievable," she snapped, taking in the scene before her as the residual teleport smoke faded. "I leave you two alone for three seconds - three _seconds_ , mind you - and already you're fighting. What is going on here?"

Suzie and Edmund advanced on her, both of them wrestling for the wooden spoon and both of them talking at once.

"Edmund won't give me the spoon," Suzie accused, glaring daggers at her brother. 

Edmund glared back, just as angrily.

"Marta, didn't you say I could do the mixing? Suzie won't let me!"

Marti slapped a tridactyl hand to her fuzzy forehead, squeezing her vibrant, red curls between her thick fingers.

"OK, listen up you guys," she snapped. "Edmund, Suzie is in charge of the sticky buns. If she doesn't want your help, don't offer it to her. Suzie, I did tell Edmund he could do the mixing, but I meant he could mix the _eggs_ , not your dough. Is all that understood?" 

She paused only long enough for them to nod, then continued in the same, sharp tone.

"Good. Now, let's remember why we're doing this OK? No more arguing."

"Well, if Edmund hadn't—"

"No!" Marta cut her off. "Drop it, now. Do you really want to ruin this day before it's even begun?"

Suzie scowled, then lowered her head slightly. 

"No," she admitted.

"Good. Now, what I need is to get some water boiling for the porridge," she said, striding across the room to unhook a medium sized pot from the rack. "Edmund, did you manage to find that black pudding Oma and Opa sent us from Germany?"

"It's on the island," Edmund told her, watching as she filled the pot with water and carried it over to the stove.

"Excellent," she said, turning on the heat. "Then I need a knife, a pan, and a mixing bowl for the eggs."

"I'll get the bowl," Edmund offered eagerly. 

While he did that, Marta set a pan on the burner beside the pot and snatched a knife from the knife rack by the sink with her tail. She was already slicing the black pudding by the time her brother hopped up on his stool with the mixing bowl.

"OK," she said, "here's what we're going to do. I'm going to fry up the black pudding, then we're going to scramble the eggs in the same pan."

"And I get to mix the eggs?" Edmund said, his eyes sharp.

"Of course," Marta said. "I told you that you would, didn't I?"

Edmund grinned happily, twirling a short-handled wooden spoon in his pale blue, five fingered hand. 

Marta arranged the pudding slices in the pan and turned on the heat, then returned to Edmund and started cracking eggs into his bowl.

"Suzie," she said, looking over to the counter where her sister was working. "How are you coming with that dough?"

"I need a rolling pin," Suzie said, making a face as she realized she'd just smeared flour all over her skirt. "Drat!"

"That's nothing," Marti said. "I'm getting egg goo in my fur!"

"Eew..." Suzie shuddered. "Just don't get any fur in the egg, yeah?"

"Only in yours," she teased. "Oh, and about the rolling pin - I think there's one in the drawer by the refrigerator." Marta pointed, then cracked the last egg and moved off to dump the shells in the trash and wash her hands.

"There you go, Edmund," she said. "Mix away."

"Um, Marti," Suzie said, looking up from the drawer her sister had indicated. "I think the water's boiling."

"Thanks!" Marti grinned at her, hurrying to measure out the oats and pour them into the water.

"Why don't we ever buy instant oats?" Suzie asked, peering over Marti's shoulder as she set the timer. "They're so much easier."

"Maybe," Marta allowed. "But they taste like paste."

Suzie nodded. 

"Good point," she said, walking back to her dough with the rolling pin in hand.

Marta flipped the black pudding, smiling at how crisp the slices were getting, then ran back to the island to check on Edmund's progress with the eggs.

"How's it going, Eddie?" she asked, peering into the bowl.

"Erm, Edmund," she said, pointing to a number of suspicious looking specks and lumps floating in the oddly discolored eggs. "What's all that?"

Edmund looked up at her, a broad grin on his face. 

"Salt, pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder, rosemary, cheddar cheese, sliced ham, Worstershire sauce, hot sauce, and I forget what else."

"But—" Marti stuttered. "Why?"

"Plain eggs are boring," Edmund said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Did you leave anything in the refrigerator for when the others come down for breakfast?"

"Yeah, sure," Edmund said, happily stirring his mixture.

Marta shrugged helplessly. There was nothing she could do, after all. 

"OK, then," she said. "I'm sure it'll be delicious Edmund. Just, ask me next time before you go pouring every spice in the spice rack into the breakfast eggs, yeah?"

Edmund looked up at her, his hazel-gray eyes wide. 

"Why," he asked nervously, "do you think Daddy won't like them?"

Marta struggled to suppress a wince. 

"I think," she said carefully, shooting another dubious glance at the lumpy, brownish eggs. "I think he'll love them because you made them."

Edmund beamed, going back to his mixing with renewed enthusiasm.

"Marti," Suzie called from her own workstation. "I think the black pudding is done!"

Marta sniffed the air, then gasped, teleporting over to the stove and switching off the heat.

"Close save," she sighed, hastily transferring the crisp, black slices over to a paper towel and replacing the pan on the stovetop. "Thanks, Suzie."

Suzie shrugged, not looking up as she sprinkled generous quantities of cinnamon and sugar over her flat rectangle of well-buttered dough. 

"Eh," she said. "That's what I'm here for."

"Well," Marti said, "just for that I'll take extra care to keep all traces of fur out of your breakfast."

"I appreciate that," Suzie smirked back, rolling the dough into a smooth log. As Marta watched, the moon-pale girl used her shapeshifting abilities to stretch out a long, spade-tipped tail and pull her baking sheet up next to her.

"Are you going to use the big oven or the little oven for those?" she asked.

"The little oven," Suzie said, slicing the log into little spiral buns and placing them on the baking sheet. "That way I don't really have to preheat it or anything."

"Good plan," Marta said, and turned back to Edmund.

"OK, Eddie," she said. "I think the pan's cooled enough. Let's cook these eggs. Bring your stool."

Marta lifted the lumpy, odd-smelling egg mixture and poured it carefully into the waiting pan. Then, she turned the heat to its lowest setting and handed Edmund a pair of chopsticks.

"Here," she said as he climbed up onto his stool. "Stir the eggs with these. I need to see to the porridge."

The seconds were counting down on the timer as Marta stirred the thick porridge, taking a quick taste to make sure its consistency was right. Then, she turned off the heat and went back to the island for the milk jug and the salt.

"The buns are in the oven," Suzie announced, setting her own timer. "Now I need to make the caramel sauce. Are you almost done with the stove?"

"I am done," Marta told her, carrying the heavy pot over to the counter and getting out five breakfast trays and a serving spoon. "Just keep an eye on Edmund while you're over there, will you?"

"I don't need Suzie to keep an eye on me!" Edmund protested from his stool. "I know how to cook!"

Suzie sucked in her cheeks, turning a pointed look on Marta. 

Marta sighed.

"Look, Edmund, no one is saying you can't cook," she said. "We just want to make sure you don't burn yourself. Even on the lowest setting, the stove is dangerous."

"I won't burn myself," Edmund stated stubbornly. "I know what I'm doing!"

"Forget it, Marti," Suzie snarked. "He won't listen. But when you _do_ burn yourself," she said to Edmund as she placed her own small pot on the burner next to his eggs, "don't even think of crying to me."

"Don't worry," Edmund scowled at her. "I won't. And I won't burn myself either."

"Fine," Marta said exasperatedly as she got out five bowls and five plates to arrange on the trays. "See that you don't."

The porridge safely in its bowls and the slices of black pudding arranged nicely on the plates, Marta next turned her attention to making toast.

"Do we have any of that rye bread?" she asked, poking around in the cabinets.

"I think so," Suzie said, carefully stirring her sauce. "Check in the refrigerator."

"Found it!" Marti exclaimed, pulling the bread and the butter from the shelf and leaving the refrigerator door to swing shut on its own as she headed over to the toaster. "What time is it?"

"Nearly six," Edmund told her, still stirring the slowly curdling eggs, watching in fascination as the cheese melted into the mixture.

"I think we're actually going to pull this off," Suzie said, and smiled at Marta. "Do you need any help slicing the grapefruit?"

"Nah, I've got it," Marti said, plopping the grapefruit halves into small bowls and placing them neatly on the trays. Then she gasped.

"Ach, Gott!" she exclaimed. "Do you know what we forgot?"

"What?" Suzie asked.

"The coffee!"

"Oh..." Suzie winced. "Oops."

Marta ran a hand through her curls, thinking fast. 

"I've got it!" She snapped her fingers, and crouched down to dig through one of the cabinets opposite the sink. "Those funny little coffee press things Mum always uses for tea! I'll heat up the water in the microwave and then we won't need the coffee maker at all!"

"How much coffee do you put in those things?" Suzie asked curiously, removing her bubbling syrup from the stove and carrying it over to the island.

"I think we'll be safe with one scoop in each press," Marti said, pulling Dr. MacTaggert's coffee can from the freezer and racing to fill their largest measuring cup with water.

"Erm, Marti," Edmund called out from the stove. "The eggs are starting to get all dry. What should I do now?"

Marta groaned and handed the measuring cup to Suzie. 

"Shove this in the microwave, will you," she said, rushing over to Edmund and quickly turning off the heat.

"It's perfect, Edmund," she assured him, glancing into the pan. "I must admit, it looks much better cooked."

"It'll taste good too," Edmund said proudly. "I put all kinds of things into it."

Marti's tail shivered. 

"Yes," she acknowledged wryly. "I'll just serve it out onto the plates, OK?"

"Yep," Edmund said, grinning. "Can I butter the toast?"

"Is that done already?" Marta asked, surprised. "Yeah, sure. Knock yourself out. Just be careful, OK? That bread is hot."

"Yeah, I know." Edmund rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, you sound just like Mum."

Marta bristled.

"I do not!"

"Do too," Edmund muttered.

"I do not!" Marta insisted. "I was just—"

"Excuse me," Suzie's smug voice interjected. "But is there a problem here?"

Marta scowled at her. 

"No," she stated primly. "There is not."

Suzie shook her head with a vengeful smirk. 

"Honestly," she said, "I can't leave you two alone for a moment can I?"

"Oh, shut up," Marta snapped. 

Suzie just snickered. 

"Fine then," Marti said. "You two finish up here without me. I have to get to Mum and Dad's room and start setting everything up anyway. Don't forget to wash the pots and pans and things when you're through. I'll be back for you and the food when I'm done up there."

Flashing them a smile, Marti vanished in a BAMF of smoke...before either of her siblings could protest.

To Be Concluded...


	3. Chapter 3

PART THREE

BAMF! 

Marta reappeared in her bedroom and crouched down beside her bed, lifting the skirting so she could pull out the big sign their mother had helped them make the night before, along with four presents neatly wrapped in shiny gold paper and tied with blue, fuzzy ribbon.

Marti grinned, her cheery mood returning as though it had never left. Piling everything on her rug, she wrapped her arms around them and teleported to her parents' room.

It was just past six, and the morning sun already shone through the curtains, filling the room with a warm, comfortable glow. Marta froze for a moment, every sense on the alert for any sign of movement from her parents' bed. When all that met her straining ears was the slow, even breathing of sleep, Marta allowed herself to relax slightly. She wrapped her tail around the tape, carefully unrolled the colorful sign, and crawled up the wall, taping it just below the ceiling. Then, she piled the presents neatly on her father's bedside table and stood back to admire her handiwork.

"Perfect!" she whispered happily, and teleported back to the kitchen. It was finally time for the party to begin!

*******

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Kurt Wagner groaned and rolled over to slap the alarm into blessed silence. He started to snuggle back into his pillow, but a movement beside him made him turn his head instead, a slow smile spreading over his fuzzy features.

"Morning, love," his wife said, returning his grin. Brushing a few tousled curls from his fuzzy forehead, she leaned in close for a brief kiss. "Do you know what day this is?"

Kurt blinked sleepy golden eyes and stretched lazily as he considered her question. 

"Well," he said thoughtfully, staring at the patterns of light on the ceiling. "It is not our anniversary. And I don't think it's anyone's birthday today. So I'm afraid I'm at a loss." He turned back to her with a playful, curious smile. "What day is it, Liebe?"

Alice smiled, her eyes glittering with mischief as she turned her gaze toward the wall in front of their bed. 

Kurt tilted his head, and followed her gaze to see an enormous, brightly colored sign completely covered with happy smiley faces and balloons, its hand-painted lettering cheerfully spelling out "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DADDY!"

Kurt gasped and sat up, his eyes widening until they were nearly round.

"Mein Gott," he breathed, his heart swelling with emotion. He reached out to clasp his wife's hand in his. "It is marvelous, meine Liebe! And you all signed it, too!"

"But that's not all," Alice said, climbing out of bed and rushing over to place her hand on the doorknob. "All right, kids," she called, pulling the door open with a flourish. "Come on in!"

Suzie and Edmund shuffled into the room, carrying a loaded tray carefully between them. Alice lowered the short legs under the tray and helped them set it down over their father's lap.

"Nothing like breakfast in bed to start off your special day, right, honey?" Alice grinned.

"But, what about the rest of you?" Kurt started, only to have his question answered for him when Marta teleported into the space beside the bed with a small table and four trays of food. She grinned at him excitedly, her green eyes shining.

"Happy Father's Day, Dad," she said. "What do you think?"

Kurt laughed brightly, his grin threatening to split his face. 

"I think that if this lovely breakfast wasn't sitting on my lap I'd like to jump up and hug you all! This is absolutely wonderful! I had no idea!"

"That was the point," Suzie said, smiling.

"We wanted to surprise you," Edmund added, hugging his father's arm tightly. "I made the eggs." He pointed to them proudly.

"Well, then..." Kurt smiled at him, reaching for his fork. "I'll be certain to try those first."

Marti and Suzie shared a significant glance, both of them slapping a hand over their mouths to keep from laughing as they waited for his reaction.

Kurt's eyes widened slightly as he put the eggs in his mouth, and he quickly reached for his coffee.

"It's delicious, Liebling," he said, once he could talk again. "Whatever did you put in it?"

Edmund beamed. 

"Salt, pepper, garlic powder—"

"Ah, garlic powder," Kurt nodded, taking another sip of coffee. "And what else? Hot sauce, I assume."

Edmund nodded. 

"Yep. And loads of other stuff too."

Suzie and Marta bent double in a fit of silent hysterics as they watched their father's expression. Even Alice was having a hard time keeping her laughter in.

"The eggs are very good, Edmund," Kurt assured the boy. "In fact, they're so good I think I'll save the rest for later." 

He looked down at his tray, and perked up.

"Ah, Suzie, is this one of your famous sticky buns?"

Suzie took a few deep breaths, then nodded, her shoulders still shaking from her silent laughter. 

"Yeah," she said. "And Marti fried up some of that black pudding Oma and Opa sent."

"Wunderbar!" Kurt exclaimed, happily digging in as the rest of the family sat around the little table Marta had brought up and started on their own breakfast.

"Mmm!" Edmund smiled as he chewed. "These eggs really are good! They just need some ketchup."

Marta and Suzie stared at their brother, aghast. Then, they both broke into an uncontrollable bout of snickers.

"You did a wonderful job with the breakfast, children," Alice said over her sticky bun.

"Fantastic," Kurt agreed from the bed, where he was just finishing his porridge. "But, I couldn't help noticing this very interesting pile of mysterious packages that have miraculously found their way onto my bedside table. Could it be that my wonderful family has still more surprises in store for me?"

"Could be..." Marta smiled impishly. 

Kurt lowered his nearly empty tray to the floor and reached for the first package. It was small, flat, and rectangular.

"It's from Suzie!" Kurt read as he untied the fuzzy, blue bow and ripped through the wrapping paper.

"It's a date book with a bunch of pictures by M.C. Escher," Suzie said as Kurt flipped through the little book. "I saw it in the book store and it looked interesting, so I thought you might like it."

"I do," Kurt said, smiling at the intricate designs and impossible structures on each page. "This is perfect. I needed a date book. Thank you, Suzie."

Suzie smiled. 

"You're welcome."

"Now, let's see who's next," Kurt said, picking up the next package - a rather large, heavy box.

"Hmmm..." Kurt smiled as he read the label. "It's from Marta. I bet I know what this is."

"Well, you got all excited when you saw the advert on TV," she said, watching intently as he unwrapped the box. "I found a store voucher, too, so I could actually afford it without having to beg Mum for money."

"The entire Horatio Hornblower miniseries on holo-disk!" Kurt beamed as he ran his fingers excitedly over the boxed set. Then, he sighed sadly. "Ach, Marti, I can't accept this."

Marta's face fell. 

"But—"

"Unless, of course," Kurt interrupted, holding up a fuzzy finger, "you agree to watch them with me."

Marta laughed, relieved. 

"Of course I will!" she exclaimed, rushing over to give him a hug. 

Kurt grunted at the impact, then laughed along with her. 

"We'll watch the first one tonight, ja?" he said, tousling her red curls affectionately. "Maybe we can even convince Katzchen and the others to watch it with us."

"That would be great!" Marti cheered.

"Open mine next, Daddy!" Edmund exclaimed, pushing between Kurt and Marta to deposit another box on his father's lap. "Pleeese!"

"All right, Edmund," Kurt said, tearing the paper from the box and opening it.

"It's a picture I drew for you at school," Edmund explained, taking the frame from the box and holding it up for his father to see. "Mummy framed it for me. This is you and this is me and these are Mummy and Marti and Suzie and we're all in the X-Jet, you see? We're going to Germany to see the circus with Oma and Opa, like we did last summer, remember?"

Kurt chuckled, looking down at Edmund with a slightly wry expression. 

"Is this a present or a suggestion, mein Junge?" he asked.

Edmund averted his eyes, a faint flush staining his blue cheeks at being found out so quickly. 

"Well," he said, twirling his tail between his fingers, "the circus was really fun, wasn't it? And it's not very far in the X-Jet, and—"

"All right, Edmund," Alice interrupted him with a small smile. "We get the idea."

"It's a lovely picture, Edmund," Kurt told him, holding it up to the light. "I think it will look very nice on the wall over there."

"There's one present left," Marta pointed out, gesturing to the lone package on the bedside table.

"So there is," Kurt said. He glanced curiously at Alice, who put on her most innocent expression, then began tearing off the golden paper.

"It's a book," Edmund said, sniffing the air. "Erg," he snorted. "It smells old."

"It is old," Kurt said, running his fuzzy fingers over the gold-leafed spine with something nearing reverence. "First edition?" he asked, looking up at Alice with wide, shining eyes.

Alice smiled back.

"What else," she said. "You won't believe the number of shops I tore through before I found it."

"I can imagine," he said softly, opening the book very slowly and carefully.

"What's the title?" Suzie asked curiously.

" _Captain Blood_ ," Kurt said, and grinned. 

Suzie rolled her eyes.

"Oh," she said. "Of course."

Kurt laughed, placing the book carefully back on the bedside table and rising to his feet.

"All of you do realize," he said, "that all these wonderful presents and that delicious breakfast you made for me have made me realize all the more how very blessed we are. I—"

_"Kurt?"_

The Wagners looked up as Captain Britain's tinny voice piped into the room over the intercom.

"Yes, Brian," Kurt responded. "What is it?"

 _"We've just gotten a call from Inspector Thomas,"_ Captain Britain told him. _"There's been a murder, and it looks like the victim was a mutant. He's requested that Excalibur come down to scope out the scene."_

Kurt sighed deeply, closing his eyes as Brian went on. 

_"I'm sorry, Kurt,"_ he said, _"but when duty calls, we must answer. It seems like we'll have to miss out on yet another Father's Day."_

Kurt smiled.

"Oh, I don't know about that, mein Freund," he said. "Prep the jet, OK? Alice and I will be down in a minute."

 _"I'll call Kitty and the others,"_ Brian acknowledged. _"See you soon."_

"Well," Kurt said with a helpless shrug as the intercom crackled into silence. "It looks like we've been summoned."

"Do you have to go?" Edmund whined plaintively.

"I'm afraid so, mein Junge," Kurt told him apologetically.

"It's OK," Marti said. "We knew Excalibur would get a call sooner or later. That's why we planned the party so early in the morning."

"I have to admit," Kurt said, "I believe this was the best Father's Day I've ever had. Thank you very much."

"I'm certainly glad to hear that," Suzie said. "We've been planning it all week!"

"And, it's not over yet," Marti pointed out. "After all, we still have to watch Horatio Hornblower when you get back!"

"That's right!" Kurt grinned, brightening considerably. "It's a date, Liebling."

"Unfortunately," Alice said, "right now Daddy and I have to get dressed, so..."

"No problem," Suzie assured them, picking up Kurt's tray and placing it on the table. "We were just leaving. See ya when you get back!"

"Yeah," Marti said, getting a good grip on the table in preparation for a teleport. "Happy Father's Day!"

"Happy Father's Day, Daddy!" Edmund said, hugging his father tightly around the middle and enduring a kiss from his mother before joining his sisters by the doorway.

"Good luck with the mission," Suzie said.

Kurt smiled.

"Dankeschon, Kinder."

"Be good for Uncle Alistaire, OK?" Alice said. 

The three children nodded, then they and the loaded table vanished in a BAMF of sulfur-scented smoke as Marta teleported them all away.

Kurt and Alice stared at the spot where they had been for a moment longer, then Kurt sighed.

"Well, Alice," he said, pecking her lightly on the cheek and heading for his closet. "Time to suit up."

"It's true what they say, isn't it," she observed as she walked to her own side of the room. "Superheroes never do get a day off."

Kurt chuckled. 

"Perhaps so, meine Liebe," he said, grinning at her as he pulled his uniform from its hanger. "But that only makes times like this morning all the sweeter, don't you think?"

Alice smiled. 

"It was all their idea, you know. Having the party at breakfast, I mean."

"They're great kids, aren't they," Kurt said, looking at the colorful sign with proud affection.

"They're the best," Alice agreed, coming up beside him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She smiled warmly, looking deep into his golden eyes.

"Happy Father's Day."

THE END :)


End file.
